Series 3: Best Practices in Forms Management
6 sessions: June 10, 2010 – July 13, 2010
Thursdays, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Do you want your forms program to be the best it can be? Sure you do. But how do you know what is best? Are you thinking about best practices? Industry experts Ray Killam and Carl Brannon put together a best practices forms management program and had it peer-reviewed. How can you compare your program to the standard if you don't know what the standard is? Through the collective work of many, Canadian forms professionals have developed a national standard for forms management.
Establishing a standard and developing best practices are collaborative efforts of many forms professionals. You can gain the benefit of their work and knowledge via the Master Series "Best Practices in Forms Management”, presented by Ray Killam. This six-part series details how to establish a good program that starts with strategy, then structure, staffing, policies and procedures, forms control, forms technology, forms metrics and management reporting. In addition Ray will present a summary of the national standard for forms developed in Canada.
Click here to register for the Full Master Series (includes all 6 sessions) or you may use the links below to register for individual sessions.
The sessions start at 11:30 PT and run for 1 ½ hours. If your schedule doesn’t permit you to attend during these times, recordings are available for purchase for $89.00 per session.
Take advantage of virtual training at your workplace.
Plan your budgets to attend this series!
The price for the complete series is $475 for BFMA members and $575 for non-members and covers one "seat”, that is, one Internet connection to the presentation. Individual sessions are $89 for BFMA members and $108 for non-members. Multiple listeners are welcome to access the webinar as long as there is only one Internet connection, making these webinars the perfect training tool during these difficult economic times.
It is strongly recommended that you purchase a copy of the National Standard for Canada – Forms Management (C**/CGSB-6.2). Twenty-three organizations involved in the development and deployment of forms recognized no forms department should stand alone. So in 2002, they formed a committee to develop a national standard that would encompass issues they personally face on a daily basis. The result of their labor is the standards document written by forms professionals for forms professionals. For $79.33 USD you can purchase your copy, click here to purchase.
All sessions are presented by Ray Killam, CFSP, CFC. President, Essociates Group, Inc. Essociates Group provides a variety of forms-related services. Mr. Killam serves BFMA as both President Emeritus and as Chairman of the BFMA Education Foundation. Mr. Killam was awarded the Jo Warner Award in 2001. Mr. Killam holds a BBA (Economics) from Washburn University, Topeka, KS; an MBA from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA; and a Graduate Certificate in eCommerce from Creighton University, Omaha, NE.
Thursday, June 10: Forms Management Standards
Standards are the key to process quality achievement and management. Until recently, there were no officially-approved standards for forms management. That has now changed.
The Canadian National Standard on Forms Management sets out best practices for the establishment and operation of a forms management program in either public or private sector organizations. This standard was recently adopted in Canada, but it is equally applicable for any forms management program worldwide.
This session will review the contents of the standard and how it deals with recommended requirements for policy, and provides guidance on program implementation, training, resource utilization and the promotion of the Forms Management Program. This session sets the stage for the remaining sessions in this series.
Thursday, June 17: The Strategic Importance of Forms Management
All organizations have a forms management function. It may be formal and managed, or it may be informal and mismanaged, but it is always present. The costs to create, print, deploy, use, store, find, reproduce, and destroy forms can amount to as much as 3% of revenues (Gartner Group estimate). As the basic tool for business communication, well-designed and well-worded forms contribute to positive customer experience, enhanced brand expression, and efficient business processes. All organizations need a well-developed forms management strategy, led by forms professionals and supported by senior management. The strategy must align with the mission, vision, values, and objectives of the organization. It is used to help drive technology investment, business process management, records and compliance management, and customer service. Mr. Killam will cover form definitions, forms management strategic elements, costs and ROI considerations, and forms strategy development.
Thursday, June 24: Forms Department Structure and Forms Department Staffing
Where should Forms Management report? How should the function be structured to support the overall forms management strategy? What key steps should the forms manager take to ensure that the department is aligned with overall organization objectives? These and related questions will be discussed during this session.
Once structure is in place, how should the department be staffed? This includes the skill sets required, job description development and the number of people required.
*Rescheduled to Wednesday, June 30: Forms Policies and Procedures
Forms development is a business process and, as with all business processes, it needs to be mapped, documented and managed. This session looks at the process as a whole and the basic policies and procedures required that will ensure a smooth, results-oriented workflow.
Thursday, July 8: Forms Control and Forms Technology
What are the functions that are included in forms control? Who performs these functions? What tools are required? These questions will be addressed and discussed during this session.
Multiple tools are required to perform effective forms management, including a forms database, design tools, deployment tools, analysis tools, mapping tools and project management tools. Picking the "right” tool(s) depends on strategy. This session will describe a process for determining which tools are right for you.
Tuesday, July 13: Forms Metrics and Management Reporting
Beginning with the basic management axiom that "you cannot manage that which you do not measure”, this session will address what is important to management at each level and how to organize the department to capture required data and report on it in a meaningful way.
Educating management about the value your department brings to the company is vital in this age of constant cost-cutting efforts. Learn what critical data you need to collect, how to classify and quantify it, and how to translate that data into presentations and reports that speak the language of management.
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